Something
by InfernumEquinomin
Summary: RenjiXHanatarou; Lover, for some reason, all that word seems to scream is scandal. And Hanatarou can't stand it.


Chapter 15: Something- RenjiXHanataro

Note: okay, I know that I thought this was going to be this big heartfelt scene it ended up as something else entirely… warnings for kinda smutty content.

-0-

Lover. That word…

To be honest, Hanataro was beginning to hate it.

Though the word love was in it, it implied none. Just sex and debauchery.

He especially hated it said of him. With anyone. And currently he was hating it said about him and Renji.

It was no secret, not anymore, that they were together. That they spent nights and noons and as many hours as possible in the company of the other. Everyone knew, and they didn't talk openly. Hanataro was a little suspicious it had originally been Yumichika to get a hold of this information through means of an overly effective spy regimen he'd perfected but the vain man wasn't talking. So neither did he.

Hanataro had gotten over his insecurities a long time ago now. He would no longer be timid, no longer be a victim or gopher for those overbearing higher ranked officers. Being a Doctor for stubborn patients took stubborness itself, not to mention that he had spent an excess (in Isane's opinion) amount of time with Ichigo, and he had to be the biggest person reliant on inner strength anyone, dead or living, had met. He certainly was for Hana. He was still polite, kind, and all around the same person he'd ever been, he just had maybe a little less modesty for others and a tick less tolerance for insult.

Living with Ganju can do things like that for you.

Plus growing four or five inches hadn't hurt either.

There were thousands of rumors in Seireitei, that he was next to be named Captain when Unohana retired, that he had a dark, secret past he showed no one, that he and Renji were lovers.

Hanataro didn't care for rumors, and he didn't care for the word Lovers either.

"Renji, I want to go on a date." he said suddenly, Renji's head lifting and the red head looking and him, shocked.

"eh? Why? We've been together years and only _now _you decide that we need to date?" the fukutaichou asked, rolling over and sitting up on his elbows to look at Hanataro.

"no, I don't think we need to, I just want one." Yamada sighed, shaking his head.

"I know you want to completely open our relationship but I… really don't want to lose the intimacy Taro." Renji muttered, glancing away, Yamada scowling. I know that you dunce. And I know it'll change but I'm tired of it being the same.

"I'm tired of them calling us lovers." he said honestly, leaning closer to Renji and the red head chuckling a little.

"Taro, you're makin' absolutely zero sense right now…" he shook his head and Yamada threw his hands in the air.

"we're more than that aren't we? More than sex and sparring and rubbing off on each other." Hanataro sighed, Renji snorting and Yamada glancing over at him. "_not _what I meant by rubbing off Renji."

"sorry, I can't help but laugh when you use sex terms." Renji chuckled, Yamada smiling a little himself.

"I know, but I meant mentally." he smiled and petted softly at Renji's head, the man lifting into the touch like a cat and smiling softly.

"a date?" he asked, Yamada nodding.

"yes." he muttered, leaning down and kissing his forehead.

"where?" Renji asked.

"I haven't decided." Yamada frowned, only now really considering where the date should be.

"we could go to Mariko's, she'd get us a good seat where only a few people could see if I decided I want to kiss you all of a sudden." Renji smirked tilting Hanataro's chin and kissing him softly to emphasize his idea, Yamada smiling.

"maybe. Then again, we've been to Mariko's before, people are used to seeing us together there." Hanataro mused, Renji sighing and laying his head on the younger man's lap. Yamada thought on it a minute more then frowned. "where did you take girls when you were dating, before me?"

"oh, festivals, Kimichi's, that noodle place in Rukongai, Lazarus, you know, that dark Goth-style bar. Though that was out of curiosity when it first opened…" Renji ticked them off frowning a little. Yamada smiled.

"hmm… we should go to Nanashitori." he suggested the restaurant with a hint of nostalgia. That had been the place he'd first gone on a date at. It'd only be fitting to be where Renji and he had their first.

"really? That place is kind of sappy…" Renji muttered.

"yes, it is, but it's also enclosed, practically private, and if you decided to ravish me I probably wouldn't be too embarrassed." Hanataro smiled, just a little bit wickedly, at his love, and Renji chuckled.

"ravish hmm…" Reni grinned pulling him down onto the pillows. "sounds like a great idea."

"Ohaiyo Fourth Seat Yamada!" the squad men cleaning the hall saluted and he smiled at them, feeling better than he had in a long time. He'd heard the first stirrings of the rumor that morning.

_Did you hear? Apparently Yamada-sama and Abarai-fukutaichou have been goin steady this whole time!_

_Yeah, I've heard it was underground and they've been keeping it private for a long time._

_I heard that too, they were at Nanashitori's, for an anniversary according to a friend I know who was there that night. _

Hanataro was ecstatic. It felt nice to not be thought of as a closeted sex fiend. After all, while he may be more stubborn and self-assured, he by no means had lost any of his pride.

Renji was in hell. Byakuya just kept smirking at him. Actually showing some emotion other than righteous anger, and it was amusement at his suffering.

Squad women had come to him every second that day it seemed to congratulate him, give him a gift, or tell him to give their regards to Hana.

He'd _known _this would be a bad idea.

"Abarai, you'll have to stay late and do your paperwork off the clock if you don't stop brooding and do it now." Byakuya said, sounding far too amused.

"_what_ is your _problem_?" Renji hissed at his CO, Byakuya's smirk actually growing.

"I just think that you've gotten what you deserved is all." Byakuya said glibly.

"how on _earth_ do you think that?" Renji huffed, frustrated beyond measure.

"well, you've put this off so long you've created your own personal scandal. If you two had come out and said it towards the beginning, the rumors wouldn't last near as long." Byakuya smiled a little then it faded and he returned to his paperwork, stony-faced and that self-righteous visage agan in place. "make sure this doesn't affect your work."

"yes sir Kuchiki-taichou…" Renji sighed.

-0-

"what is all that?" Hanataro asked, frowning at the big bundle that Renji was trying to get through his hallway without knocking things off the walls or knocking his table over.

"gifts. For you." Renji grunted, making his way through and into the living room where he moved carefully around the small picture frames and items on the coffee table and flopped onto the couch.

"me? Why do you have a sack of gifts for me?" Yamada frowned, sitting beside him and handing him a cup of tea.

"well they're not from me…" Renji rolled his eyes and set the bag down gently. "the women in the division decided to congratulate us…"

"so, none are for you?" Yamada asked, Renji shaking his head.

"no, a couple were…" he frowned, draining his cup and setting it aside.

"well, what are they?" Hanataro asked, Renji shrugging.

"I wouldn't know, most of them are wrapped." he pointed at a box sticking out the top wrapped in bright red and blue paper. It said happy Birthday on it but seeing as the workweek started the day after the date they'd gone on he could understand the rush. "there was a scarf in there though."

"oh." Yamada grabbed the small, delicate box from the top gingerly, as if it would fall apart if he was rough, and sat it on his lap, just looking at it.

"Taro?" Renji frowned in concern.

"I don't get many gifts." he smiled, teary-eyed as he held one delicately wrapped box. "the first one I ever got was that first Christmas in the human world with Orihime."

"well, lets open them together then." Renji smiled and decided maybe the embarassment was worth it to see Hana smile like that.

End. And the crowd says a collective 'awwwwww!' and yeah, I'm sure as a doctor he does occasionally get gifts from patients but that doesn't count… don't ask why, it just don't!

And ah! Loving these but getting towards the end of my lil series here! Saddies!


End file.
